Phonograph



June 18, 1935.

T. c. BROWN PHONOGRAPH Filed July 12,

1932' 2 Sheets-Sheet l THOMAS C. B/zow/v (Ittorneg June 18, 1935. T. c, BROWN 2,005,074

I I PHONOGRAPH Filed July 12, 1952 2,Sheets-Sheet 2 65 3nventor THOMAS C. BROWN [Ma/La mechanism, associated therewith.

Patented June 18, 1935 r Z,tt5,074

s PATENT ori ice PHONO GRAPH Thomas C. Brown, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Tln'mrias A. Edison, Incorporated, West Orange, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 12, 1932, Serial No. 622,054

13 Claims. (01. 274-21) This invention relates to phonographs and more particularly to improvements in the means for effecting and controlling theoperation of the back-spacing inechanismin commercial phonographsbr dictating and transcribing machines.

finch phonographs will hereinafter be generally referred to as dictating machines.

j Adictating machine is ordinarily provided with mechanism whereby the sound box may be backspaced atthe will of the user, in order to reproduce or repeat the reproduction of any desired portion or portions of the matter recorded on the record. tablet or cylinder. Mechanisms of this general character are disclosed in the Holland U. S..,Patent No. 1,275,257, granted August 13,

1918, and the pending U. S. application of Gramann, Serial No. 375,367, filed July 2, 1929, now Patent 1,979,829, granted November 6, 1934. The present invention is applicable to such mechanisms, its purposes being somewhat similar to those of the invention disclosed in my copendingapplication Serial No. 588,274, filed January 23, 1932.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for enabling successiveoperations of a back-spacing mechanism to be effected upon a single actuation of a controlkey or other device.

; A further object of this invention is to provide a construction comprising means for interrupting an electricalcircuit which includes an actuating device; for the back-spacing mechanism of a phonograph, which means is also adapted and arranged to tension the belt of the phonograph motor.

Further objects and features of the invention will appear more fully in the following specification and appended claims For a clearer understandingv of my invention,

7 attention is directed to the accompanying drawings,wherein: I

Figure 1 is a view in end elevation, partly broken away, of a dictating machine, having a preferred embodiment of my invention applied thereto;

I Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly broken away, of the machine shown in Fig. 1;-' I

" Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation,

partly in section, of the sound box carriage and some of the structure, including the back-spacing Fig. 4 is a part sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Fig; 3;

- Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevational view of the device shown in Fig. l for causing repeated operations of the back-spacing mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram of the arrangement for controlling and actuating the back-spacing mechanism; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of the circuit interrupting means of the device shown in Figs.5and6. W

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the phonograph illustrated has a base plate I which is supported on a suitable cabinet 2. The base plate I is provided adjacent its ends with spaced standardsv 3 and 4 "which support several rods, among'which are the front and rear guide rods 5 and 6. A carriage or arm I is slidably mounted on rods 5 and 6 andcarries a sound box 8 having a stylus arm 9 which is provided with a stylus Ill (Fig. 3) --In the normal operation of the machine, the stylus I is engaged. with the surface of a cylindrical record tablet A so as'to track the record grooves of said tablet. The tablet A is mounted upon a conventional mandrel 2 for rotation therewith, said mandrel being secured to a rotatable shaft I2 mounted in a suitable bearing carried by plate I. A feed screw t3, supported at its ends in suitable anti-friction bearings I3 carried by thestandards 3'and 4, is adapted to engage suitable means for'causing feeding movement of the carriage or arm I in one direction along the rods and B. The feed shaft or screw i3 is rotated by means of a gear I4 secured thereto and a smaller gear l5 secured to the mandrel shaft I2 and meshing with said gear l4. V i

The mandrel shaft I2 is adapted to be rotated by means, of conventionalv form, comprising an electrical motor it which is suspended from the base plate I withinthe cabinet 2. The motor I6 has a driving pulley I! which is engaged by a belt I8. This belt also passes over a larger pulley I9 which is rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 20 supported in the standard 4 in alignment with the mandrel shaft I2. Through a suitably controlled clutch comprising the members 2| and 22,'the rotation of the pulley 20 is adapted to be transmitted to the mandrel shaft I2. I

In order to prevent motor vibrations and extraneous noises from being transmitted to the delicate sound box and associated means, the, driving motor I6, as is customary, is suspended from the plate I by means of coil springs, such as shown at 22 in Fig. 1. Because the motor is thus resiliently supported from the plate-I, it is necessary inorder to maintain uniform frictional engagement of the belt I8 with the pulleys I1 I and I9, to provide tensioning means for said belt.

function, as will be hereinafter more fully de I scribed.

The mechanism for back-spacing the carriage 1 is adapted to be operated by means including the rear guide rod 6 which is mounted 'in the standards'3 and 4 for turning movement. This mechanism comprises a U-shaped member 36,

best shown in Figs. 2 and 4, pivotally mounted on a bushing 3| which is supported for sliding movement on the rod 6. The bushing 3| is firmly secured in spaced projections 32' and 33 of the carriage 1. The U-shaped member consists of the two spaced arms 34 and 35 and a base 36 and is mounted on the bushing 3! in the space between the said projections 32 and 33. The base 36 of the U-shaped memberis angular as shown in section in Fig. 3, andsupports a shouldered bolt 31 which extends forwardly therefrom. A long sleeve 39 is rotatably mounted on thebolt 31 and has a gear 38 secured thereto. Also secured to the sleeve 39 at its forward extremity is a worm wheel 40. Loosely mounted on the bushin'g'3l, within the U-shaped member 36, is a cam 4| carrying a pin 42 which extends through a circumferential. slot 43 in the bushing 3| and into a longitudinal slot '44 provided in the guide rod 6 and extending throughout its length. A' pawl 45 is pivotally mounted on the cam 4| by means of a shouldered screw 46, and is springbiased'to engage a ratchet wheel 41 whichis rotatably mounted on the bushing 3|. A worm 48 loosely mounted on the bushing 3|,is secured. to said ratchet wheel and engages the gear 38.: j

. The U-shaped member 30 and the parts carried thereby are normally urged in a' counterclockwise direction (referring to Figs. 3 and. 4) by a leaf spring 50. This spring is fastened to the end portion 33 of the projection 33 and extends forwardly to engage and press downwardly upon a rod carried at the forward ends of the arms 34 and 35 of the U-shaped member 30. Consequently the worm wheel 40 is normally constantly maintained in engagement with the feed screw l3. In the normal operation of the machine, the worm wheel 40 therefore coacts as a feed nut, with the feed screw |3 to advance the carriage lengthwise of the'mandrel I2.

An'arm 53 is clamped to the rockable rod 6 adjacent one end thereof, and a link 54 is pivotally secured at its ends respectively to the outer end of arm 53 and to the U-shaped armature 55 of an electromagnetic operatingdevice.

This device, in addition to the armature 55,

comprises. a coil 56, a core 51 and a'frame 58 on which said core, is supported and on which the armature 55 is also pivotally mounted at 59, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. a

The operation of the back-spacing mechanism supported by the carriage 1, is as follows:

f When the coil 56 of the electro-magnetic' operating device is energized, the armature 55 is attracted by the core 51, and thereupon through the link 54 and arm, rocks the rear'rod 6 through a small arc in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 1). Since the end of pin 42 is engaged with the slot 44, the cam 4| to which this pin is secured, is thereupon turned (referring to Fig. 3)

in a clockwise direction. The cam 4| through the pawl 45, then imparts a slight rotary movement to the ratchet wheel 41 and consequently to the worm 48. This worm in such rotary movement thereof, imparts a turning movement to the gear 38, sleeve 39 and worm wheel 46, whereupon the said worm wheel 40 rolls back- Wardly along the feed screw l3 which then coacts therewith as a rack. A back-spacing movement of predetermined extent is thus given to the carriage 1. The cam 4| in the rotary movement thereof described, also actuates the springpressed pivoted arm or lever 36' so as to effect the centering of the stylus |0 with respect to the sound box 8 substantially at the completion of the back-spacing movement of the carriage, as described in detail in the co-pending application of H. F. M. Gramann, Serial No. 375,367, filed July 2, 1929. Upon de-energization of coil- 56, the armature 55 returns to its original position (see Fig. 1) and through the link 54 and. arm 53, turns rod 6, cam 4| and pawl 45 in a direction opposite to that described above. The worm wheel 46 remains locked in the angular position to which it was moved during the back-, spacing operation and is ready again to act as a feed-nut for advancing the carriagaprovided no further back-spacing is desired. Also the. pawl 45 is now positioned to engage another tooth of the ratchet wheel 41 in preparation for a further back-spacing operation. For a more complete description of the construction and erence may be had to the Gramann application referred toabove. As hereinbefore set forth, one of the features of the present invention resides in an arrangee merit whereby the back-spacing mechanism can be operated repeatedly upon a single actuation of a control device- The arrangement herein shown for accomplishing this result will now be described;

The idler pulley 23has an annular for engagement by the belt I8, and disposed with in this flange is afairly thick disc 66 of insulat ing material (see Fig. 5). Disposed against the outer side of the disc 66 is a disc '61 of conductive material, which latter disc is secured in any suitable manner to the disc 66 and the'pulley 23. Accordingly, when pulley 23 is rotated by the-belt l8 during operation of the motor 16 the discs 66 and 61 are also rotated. Disc 61 is provided with a concentric opening or slot 68 (Figs. 5 andB)",

which is filledby the insulating material of disc flange 65 3 66 so as to present a smooth surface flush with p the outer face of disc 61. Located within the flange adjacent itsouter edge is. a stationary disc 69 which is fastened to the arrri 21 many suitable manner and carries two terminal posts 1i! and 1|. A space 12 is .providedbetween the discs 61 and 69, and :within said space are two resilient wiping contacts 13 and 14, the contact 13 engaging the disc 61 at the same radial distance from the center of said disc as the center of the slot 68 and the contact-14 engaging the disc 61 at a considerably less radial distance so.

as to continuously have electrical contact with said disc in the rotation thereof. The wiping contacts 13 and 14' arerespectively secured to the terminal posts 10 and 1| andare held-in proper position by the engagement of their angular end portions 13 and 14' with openings 15 and"; provided in disc 69. A suitable stiff conduit 18 *(Flg; 1) may be provided below the'plate l to guide the conductors 8| ofthe circuit of the c0il'55 from" a point adjacent said coil to a point near the pulley 23. The conductors 8| extend fro'm' theend of conduit '18 which is adjacent pulley 23 and are respectively secured to the posts Ilandll. I.

The circuit of the coil. 56 of the-electro-magnet device forirocking' rod 6 is controlled by a suitable switch or key (Figfll) This circuit indudes in addition to the coil 56"and switch 8!], a suitable source" of cur-rent 82, the contacts 73 and 14 and the disc 61, as clearly shown in. "Fig. 7. If the key' fldw'ere depressed and no other circuit breaking means were provided, the arma ture 55 would be moved to a position opposite the core 51 and would be held in such position as long as the key 86 remained depressed. If the operator then desired more than one-baek-spacing operation it would be necessary to release the key 8ll-so asto deenergize the coil 56 and permit the armature 55 to resume its original position,- under the action of gravity, andthereafter to press and release the key successively and repeatedly-until the desired number of back-spacing movements would be effected. However, by the provision and arrangement of the circuitcontrolling device comprising contacts 13 and M and disc 61, such operation of the key in order to obtain repeated back-spacing movements is rendered unnecessary. With this arrangement, is will be apparent that when the circuit of coil 56 is closed upon the depression of key 8!) and the armature 55 is thereupon raised to a position opposite core 51 to thereby raise the link 54 and effect a back-spacing movement of the carriage I, the slot 68 of disc 61 will, in the rotation of this disc, soon be brought to a position opposite the contact 13. Accordingly, after a short interval, due to the insulating material in said slot, the circuit of coil 56 will be opened. Immediately upon such opening of this circuit, the coil 56 will be de-energized and consequently the armature 55 and the mechanism associated therewith will fall back to their original positions, as shown in Fig. 1. However, in the continued rotation of disc 61 the slot 68 will soon clear the contact 13, and said disc will thereupon again establish electrical connection between the contacts 13 and 14 so that if the key is maintained depressed the circuit of coil 56 will again be closed and another back-spacing movement will be eiiected. Therefore as long as the key 353 is maintained depressed, successive back-spacing operations are obtained and the carriage 'l and sound box 8 are automatically returned step-by-steptoward the beginning of the record.

It is to be understood that my invention is susceptible of embodiment in many other forms than the illustrative one herein shown and described, without departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a phonograph having motive means for driving the same, a sound box carriage, means operable by said motive means for moving said carriage in one direction, back-spacing mechanism for moving said carriage in an opposite direction, means which includes a source of power and which is independent of said motive means for actuating and for supplying the energy to actuate said back-spacing means, and means comprising a device operable by said motive means for controlling the actuation of said mechanism by said actuating means. v .7 2. In a phonograph, a sound box carriage, driving means for moving said carriage in one direc-v tion, back-spacing mechanism for moving said carriage in a reverse direction, means which. in cludes a source of power and which is independent of said driving means for actuating and-for supplying the energy. to actuatesaid back-spac ing mechanism, and means comprising part of said driving means for controlling'th'e actuation of said mechanismby said actuating means' 3. The combination with a phonograph com-- prising a sound box carriage, means for backspacing said carriage, means comprising an elec tromagnetic device for actuating said back-spacing means, and a manually operable switch for the circuit of electromagnetic device,-of a movable device which is actuatable by thephonocircuit, of a device which is normally actuated by said. driving means when the latter is operated to make and break said circuit intermittently whereby there may be intermittently imparted to said carriage a plurality of such back-spacings during a single closure of said switch. 1

5. The combination with a phonograph comprising a carriage, means for back-spacing said carriage, an electrical device operable when the circuit thereof is closed to actuate said back-spacing means, and a switch for said circuit, of means actuatable by the phonograph and independently of said back-spacing means, device and switch to make and break said circuit intermittently.

6. The combination with a phonograph comprising a movable sound box arm,-back-spacing means for said arm, an electrical device for actuating said means, and a manually operable switch for the circuit of said electrical device, of a rotatable device which is actuated by the phonograph during operation of the latter and which acts automatically in its rotary movement to make and break said circuit intermittently.

'7. A phonograph comprising a'support, a rotatable mandrel mounted on said support, a motor for driving said mandrel, said motor being carried by said support in floating relation to sand mandrel, a sound box carriage, means for back-spacing said carriage in respect of the mandrel, flexible power-transmitting means operatively con necting said motor and mandrel, a device for tightening said power-transmitting means, and means operable by said power-transmitting means through said tightening device for controlling said back-spacing means. I

8. In a phonograph having a motor for driving the same, a sound box carriage, power-transmitting means comprising a belt associated with said motor, means comprising a rotary element for tensioning said belt, back-spacing mechanism for said carriage, and means actuated by said belt through said rotary element for controlling said back-spacing mechanism.

9. In a phonograph having motive means for P driving the same and a mandrel, a feed screw and a sound box carriage all operable by said motive means, back-spacing means for said carriage, means independent of said motive means and comprising an electro-magnet for operatingvsaid back-spacing means, a control switch in the circuit of said electro-magnet, and a switching devicev comprising a member operable by said motive means to make and break said circuit intermittently.

10. In a phonograph having motive means for driving the same, back-spacing mechanism, a device which includes a source of power and which is independent of said motive means for actuat ing and for supplying the energy to actuate said mechanism, and means operable by said motive means for controlling the actuation of said mechanism by said device.

11. In a phonograph having a motor for driving the same, a rotatable device associated with said motor andnormally actuated during operation of the motor, back-spacing mechanism, means which includes a source of power and which is independent of said motor for operating and for supplying energy to operate said backating meansspacing mechanism, and means actuatable by said device in its rotarymovement for controlling the operation of said back-spacing mechanism oper- 12. In a phonograph, a record support,smeans for driving said "record support and for advancing said carriage'in respect of the mandrel including a motor and flexiblepower-transmitting means cooperating with said motor, means for back-spacing said carriage, means independent of said motor for actuating said back-spacing-means, and unitary meansfor tensioningsaid power-transmitting means and actuatable by the latter to control the operation of said actuating means.

13. In a phonograph having means including a flexible device for driving the same, a sound box carriage, means for back-spacing said carriage, means independent of said driving means for actuating and for supplying the energy to actuate said back-spacing means, and a device for tens'ioningsaid flexible device and actuatable by the latter to control the operation of said actuating means. 1 i THOMAS C. BROWN.

sound box carriage, .a 

